Keiper keys seventh-inning win for Shanahan over Unionville

DOWNINGTOWN—It’s always great when the bottom of your order can be counted on like the top of the order. When Shanahan (6-3) stepped to the plate in the bottom half of the seventh tied 3-3 with Unionville (7-3), it was the number eight hitter, Hannah Keiper, called upon to come through.

And come through she did. Keiper not only got her first hit of the afternoon, she absolutely drilled a ball down the right field line, pulled up at third with a triple, and came into score on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a 4-3 victory.

“She’d been pitching me outside all day, so I was just waiting on an outside pitch I liked,” said Keiper. “I got one, and I just drove it. I knew when it came off the bat I made good contact. Then, with all the wild pitches in the game, I knew if I saw a pitch get away, I was going to score.”

Devon Miller had 19 strikeouts against Unionville

In the early going, Unionville couldn’t get anything going against Eagles’ ace Devon Miller. The Shanahan fireballer was putting together her second straight dominant outing, after a 13-strikeout performance against Downingtown East Tuesday.

Against Unionville, Miller struck out the first seven batters she faced, and every one of the first 13 outs recorded came by the whiff before a bunt attempt popped up to, guess who, Miller.

Miller got the Eagles offense going, too, with a bomb over the right field fence to put Shanahan up 1-0 in the first. The Eagles added another pair in the third when Annie Weyand led off with a walk, swiped second, moved up to third on a wild pitch, and came in to score on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze play, with Emily Sano dropping down the bunt.

“(Coach)Ron (Savastio) gave me the bunt sign and I just knew I had to get it down,” said Sano. “This was one of those games that showed us how much we can do when we’re all working as a team.”

After Sano was erased attempting to steal, Cat Rosfelder ripped a double to the fence in right center, moved to third on a wildpitch, and came home when Keiper reached on an error.

The Indians finally got on the board in the sixth. Maddie Boorse beat out a bunt single to lead off, and Anna DeShaies followed, reaching on an error. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch to make it second and third. Miller looked like she might escape unscathed, striking out the next two hitters, but Amanda Panoti knocked in both runners with a single down the right field line.

Dani Panati steals second as Hannah Keiper takes the throw

With two outs in the top half of the seventh, Analise Griffiths reached on a two-out single, and stole second. Boorse followed, dropping down a bunt. Shanahan fielded it cleanly, but the throw to first went wild, and Griffiths came in to score the tying run.

“This just shows you that this group of girls is never going to give up,” said Unionville coach Carly DiVirgilio. “They are battlers. We got some big time hits out of some players that aren’t always the first people you think of. Amanda Panoti came up big, Maddie Boorse came through with the bunt. Miller is probably the best pitcher in the Ches-Mont, so we know if we can come back on her, we can do it against anyone.”

Miller picked up the pitching victory going all seven. She allowed three runs on six hits—three on bunts—while striking out 19 and walking none

“I’m actually pretty happy to know I’m finally getting out of my hitting slump,” said Miller. “I just needed that first home run the other day, and now I’m starting to feel comfortable. I’m making the adjustments I need to make, at the plate and pitching.”

Though she took the loss, Unionville pitcher Sydney Horan threw a nice game as well. Horan also went the distance, allowing four runs—two earned—on six hits. She struck out eight and walked just two, one of which was an intentional walk to Miller.